CPT XX: Assistance Operational Contract Support (OCS)

In this paper I will discuss the various aspects of a Federal Contract Specialist position and what makes it different from many other government jobs. Some people think contracting is just shopping for a living, however, it requires great skill and attention to detail. Contract Specialists must be able to communicate effectively with their customers, vendors and other contracting personnel and they must be able to accurately interpret regulations and apply them appropriately. This position is a little bit customer service representative, a little bit personal shopper and a whole lot of legal assistant.

His first officer assignment was to the 82D Airborne Division where he deployed to OIF VI, December 2008 as the Distribution Platoon Leader, A Company, 82D Brigade Support Battalion and Company Executive Officer, 5-73 Cavalry Squadron, 3rd Brigade Combat Team. Following OIF VI he became the Squadron S4 for 5-73 Cavalry Squadron.   In 2011, CPT Farkas was selected as the Aide-De-Camp for the U.S. Joint Munitions Command, Army Materiel Command and then attended the Combined Logistics Captains Career Course.   CPT Farkas has been assigned to the 43rd Sustainment Brigade since January 2013 where he has served as the Ground Transportation Officer for the Brigade Supporting Operations.   CPT Farkas' awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster (OLC), Army Commendation Medal with 4 OLC, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal with 6 OLC, Joint Meritorious Unit Citation (JMUC), Valorous Unit Award (VUA), and Meritorious Unit Citation (MUC).

The history of force reductions after the Cold War era and Operation Desert Storm proves the reliance on contract support to America’s fighting force was important to accomplish the mission. (CGSC, 2015). The Army should maintain its level of contract support relative to the current budget constraints and force reductions. Contract support with oversight from Army Material Command is a force multiplier but will require several mitigation measures in order to be effective in future campaigns.

In early January 2002, American intelligence received evidence of a large volume of enemy forces assembling in the Shahi Kot Valley in Eastern Afghanistan. Central Command (CENTCOM), led by General Tommy R. Franks, was directing combat operations in Afghanistan through the Coalition Forces Land Component Command (CFLCC) and Coalition Forces Air Component Command (CFACC). As the interest in assaulting the Shahi Kot Valley amplified, General Franks reached a conclusion that a U.S. tactical commander was a need in Afghanistan. The decision was to assign the 10th Mountain Division Commander, Major General (MG) Franklin Hagenbeck, as the tactical commander. In an effort to strengthen MG Hagenbeck’s command authority, CENTCOM named his headquarters Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF) Mountain and gave it command and control authority over Operation Anaconda. By having command and control authority, MG Hagenbeck would encounter challenges with the command structure. The challenges of command structure were due to CJTF Mountain not having tactical control (TACON) of multiple Special Operation Forces, the Joint Special Operations Air Component (JSOAC), and friendly Afghanistan forces. These misunderstandings were resolved during the execution phase, but rectifying the command relationships prior would have avoided lost time and resources needed on enemy forces and positions. In this paper, I will identify the challenges of command structure during Operation Anaconda.

In support of my capstone project, I assessed and will submit a redesigned proposal with developmental recommendations for reformation of a solid POI for the SPCC that takes place at the Army Logistics University. In this, I have identified the foremost purpose for this redesign as the following: The investment in the education and training of rising leadership is vital to the long-term success of our sustainment support staff and the services provided. With this course providing training in modular force operations for newly selected command designees that enables them to function effectively throughout their command tour it is very important to make sure that the training is substantive. Therefore the main focus is to assure that training is current and emerging sustainment doctrine and leadership topics for commanders on the National Guard, Reservist and Active Duty levels is most essential.

The events that lead to the establishment of COP Wanat have been studied and picked apart from at the highest levels of our military. Multiple Army Regulation (AR)

General Hugh Shelton was selected as a leader for this assignment since I served in the United States Army’s Group Support Company, 3rd Special Forces Group as he was the Commander in Chief of the United States Special Operations Command before he was nominated as the Chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff. General Shelton was the 14th Chairman for the Joint Chiefs of

Though the research shows that the governance of civilian contractors is a blurry line at best, and while a necessary evil, they are in many cases a danger to those around them if not properly supervised. That supervision is what the evidence will show is extremely difficult to achieve and makes joint operations even more tenuous…The hypotheses is that civilian contractors often answer to multiple sources of command. The research will point to the fact that this confusion of command cost time, effectiveness, and unfortunately even lives. It will also show that it makes determining success or failure much more difficult and tenuous. The hopes of the research and overall findings is that a direction will be found that can ease the tensions and the negative results and possibly find a better way of operating with civilian contractors.

CW3 Smith was responsible for the fielding CGSS-A throughout the entire CENTCOM theater serving the all three Army Compo, strategic agencies and contractors. She was responsible for the management of 800-850 DODDACs from the initial request, alignment, funding, activation and execution. Ultimately, she resolved over 1000-1200 work orders weekly. She sent countless man-hours resolving matters for ASG, 1TSC, CJTF and tenant organizations to ensure forward forces where efficiently equipped in Afghanistan and Iraq.

LTC (P) Pete Owens is faced with numerous challenges and issues as he is preparing to take command of 4th Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT). The 4th ABCT has command climate issues and disengaged leadership that needs to be addressed immediately because failure to address and correct these issues has the potential for the unit to be unprepared for the Regionally Aligned Forced (RAF) mission.

To aid in the restoration of the Iraqi society, General Petraeus engaged his command team to work side by side with local ministries. The signal battalion commander teamed up with the telecommunication ministries to come up with solutions to fix the infrastructure. The Corp Support Command, allocated to the education ministry, assisted with the school issues. He teamed up the rest of his commanders with the associated ministries to work on solutions to getting Mosul back running.

To understand how some of the soon to be discussed failures arose, all of the key commanders need to be identified. When Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) began General Tommy Franks was the CENTCOM Combatant Commander in Tampa, Florida. Events on 9/11 lead to us having forces in Afghanistan soon after. From the beginning of the war Special Forces (SOF) were the primary assets utilized. As time went on conventional units were joining the forces in theatre. This caused the need for the Command and Control (C2) structure to adapt to the

Served as the Levant analyst on the Joint Operation Center (JOC) Current Intelligence Team (CIT) during the Iraq crisis. Tasked with standing up a 24 hour intelligence section on the watch floor to provide intelligence support to the JOC watch staff and joint planning group (JPG). My daily duties were to provide the most up to date information for the daily intelligence summary, commanders read book, and preparation of the daily situational awareness brief for directorate and CG. As a trusted analyst I individually managed, addressed, and answered five requests for information directly from the 2-star Commanding General (CG) without requiring follow ups. Additionally, I supported the joint planning efforts by answering 12 additional requests

. Recommend Major (MAJ) Waldrell J. Thomas be admitted to the Honorable Order of Saint Christopher for his service to the Transportation Corps through exemplary performance of his duties as a Division Transportation Officer to the Transportation Corps Officer Leader and most recently as the Deployment and Distribution Chief for the Combined Joint Forces Land Component Command- Iraq (CJFLCC-OIR), supporting operations in Iraq, Syria, Qatar, Kuwait, Fujairah, Jordan, Turkey. While being deployed forward, he still coordinated logistical support to units supporting PACOM and EUCOM operations, as well as, units at home station, Fort Riley, KS. MAJ Thomas led a joint staff that increased logistical efficiency within the CJFLCC-OIR by 50%.

After reviewing The AOC, TP 525-3-1, which describes how the United States Army will employ forces and capabilities in complex